one pair was of so powerful a quality, and repeated such words as
‘scoundrel,’ ‘rascal,’ ‘insolent puppy,’ and a variety of expletives no
less flattering to the party addressed, with such great relish and
strength of tone, that a dozen voices raised in concert under any
ordinary circumstances would have made far less uproar and
created much smaller consternation.

John Browdie was striding in the same direction when Mrs
Browdie turned pale, and, leaning back in her chair, requested
him with a faint voice to take notice, that if he ran into any danger
it was her intention to fall into hysterics immediately, and that the
consequences might be more serious than he thought for. John
looked rather disconcerted by this intelligence, though there was a
lurking grin on his face at the same time; but, being quite unable
to keep out of the fray, he compromised the matter by tucking his
wife’s arm under his own, and, thus accompanied, following
Nicholas downstairs with all speed.

The passage outside the coffee-room door was the scene of
disturbance, and here were congregated the coffee-room
customers and waiters, together with two or three coachmen and
helpers from the yard. These had hastily assembled round a young
man who from his appearance might have been a year or two
older than Nicholas, and who, besides having given utterance to
the defiances just now described, seemed to have proceeded to
even greater lengths in his indignation, inasmuch as his feet had
no other covering than a pair of stockings, while a couple of
slippers lay at no great distance from the head of a prostrate figure
in an opposite corner, who bore the appearance of having been